


Best of Friends

by Brumeier



Series: Bite Sized Fic [98]
Category: Simon and Simon (TV)
Genre: Bisexual Character, Coming Out, Family Feels, Gen, Prompt Fill, Protective Older Brothers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-24
Updated: 2016-07-24
Packaged: 2018-07-26 11:04:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7571713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brumeier/pseuds/Brumeier
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>LJ Comment Fic for Free For All prompt: <i>Simon&Simon, Rick+AJ, Rick learns his brother is gay or bi</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Best of Friends

AJ had a secret. Rick could’ve asked him about it, been direct like the adult he was supposed to be, but it was more fun to tail AJ downtown. He kept well back, aware that the Power Wagon wasn’t exactly inconspicuous, but he had darkness on his side.

Rick assumed the secret involved a woman, someone AJ probably didn’t want his brother to meet because she was particularly beautiful, or had a choice set of…assets. While it was true that Rick had poached a girl from AJ a time or two in the past, that hardly warranted all the secrecy. 

It was a surprise, then, when AJ ended up in Hillcrest.

“What are you doin’ here?” Rick muttered to himself.

Maybe his brother was working a case. But why wouldn’t he tell Rick about it? 

AJ pulled his Camaro into the lot adjacent to a bar, and Rick drove past, parking further up the street. It was a nice night, and there were a lot of people out walking, or eating late dinners at streetside bistros. The majority of the couples Rick passed were gay, which wasn’t unexpected given the neighborhood, but he was starting to get a bad feeling.

The bar AJ had gone into didn’t look different from any other bar Rick had visited in San Diego, unless you took into account the fact that men were dancing with each other. The lighting was dim, the beer was cheap, and a haze of smoke hung in the air. Rick scanned the main room, but he didn’t see his brother anywhere.

There was another room in the back, just past the jukebox, and Rick could hear the clack of pool balls. He edged towards the door as unobtrusively as possible – he probably should’ve left the cowboy hat at home – and there was AJ, playing pool with some young guy.

Hillcrest was pretty far to come for pool, but maybe AJ had a friend who…oh.

Rick’s face heated as he watched his brother kiss the guy he was playing pool with. Since when was AJ into guys? How had he not known?

“Hey,” someone said, and Rick whirled around, automatically going into a defensive posture.

“Whoa! Easy there.” The guy who’d spoken to Rick held up his hands. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

He was Rick’s age, maybe a little older, dressed in a pink polo shirt and khakis. As far as Rick could tell, he wasn’t carrying any weapons.

“Sorry about that,” Rick said, relaxing.

“I haven’t seen you around here before.” The guy held out his hand. “Jason Fullton.”

“Rick Simon.”

They shook hands, and Jason held on much too long. Rick jerked his hand back. 

“I was just on my way out,” he said, and headed for the door. The last thing he needed was someone trying to pick him up at a gay bar. Not that he had anything against a guy going with another guy; it just wasn’t his brand of coffee.

How had he not known it was AJ’s? He thought he knew everything about the kid.

Rick made it halfway up the sidewalk before his brother caught up with him. AJ looked angry, his mouth pressed into a thin line.

“Rick.”

“I can explain,” Rick said. “Well…no, I probably can’t. Nothing you’d believe, anyway.”

“I’m entitled to a private life.” AJ’s hands were clenched into fists, but Rick could see the fear in his eyes. It hurt him to see it, to think his brother – his _best friend_ – would be afraid of him. Of what he might say, or do, now that the secret was out.

“AJ, you gotta know this doesn’t matter to me.”

“Oh, please. My brother the Marine?”

Rick bristled at the implication. “Being a Marine has nothing to do with what’s between us.” He waved his hand in the space between them. 

AJ looked unsure, and Rick didn’t know what he could say to make the kid believe him. Tell him about the guys he knew In Country, who turned to each other for comfort when there was nothing but death and rice paddies in their future? Rick Simon was a lot of things, but he wasn’t a bigot.

He hauled AJ in for a hug. His brother was tense for a long moment, his body as rigid as steel, but then he was hugging Rick back and snuffling a little into his shoulder. He’d always been the more emotional one.

“It doesn’t matter to me,” Rick said again. “Just…are you being safe?”

AJ nodded.

“That’s all I need to know. And anytime you want to bring someone home, just give me the high sign and I’ll clear out.”

Rick let his brother go, and looked away while the kid wiped at his eyes. He was feeling a little choked up himself. He and AJ had been through a lot, together and separately, and if AJ was…What do they call it? Bi?...he was potentially facing a lifetime of shit from people less open-minded than Rick.

“Thanks,” AJ said. “But if I ever catch you following me again, I’m gonna kick your ass.”

Rick huffed out a laugh. “Whatever you say. Hey, can I ask you a question?”

AJ immediately looked wary. “What?”

“Does Mom know?”

“No. And don’t go telling her, either.”

Rick shoved his hands in his pockets. “You know she wouldn’t care either. She loves you.”

“She’d just worry.”

“That’s best case scenario. Worst case scenario, she starts trying to fix you up with her pool boy.”

AJ looked so horrified that Rick couldn’t help but laugh.

“That’s not funny, Rick. Seriously.”

“You should get back to your date. I’m gonna head home.”

AJ gave him a long look, and then nodded. 

Rick nodded back, and that was really all they needed to say. AJ returned to the bar, and Rick walked back to his truck. He’d have to find out more about his brother’s new lifestyle, so he’d be better able to head off any trouble.

No matter what else changed, Rick was AJ’s big brother. And he wouldn’t let anyone hurt him.

**Author's Note:**

>  **AN:** This is my first time writing in this fandom, but I found the prompt too enticing to ignore. I've been a big fan of the show since it's initial TV run, and have been rewatching it on Hulu. Love the relationship between the brothers, how they can be shouting at each other one minute, and taking care of each other the next. That seemed well-suited to this prompt.


End file.
